B1G to reduce conference schedule

[KnightBridgeAZ]

One of the folks on the RU board linked an article about Nebraska WBB, which included comments from Coach Yori about the B1G's decision to reduce conference games from 18 to 16 in 2016-2017.

I have always preferred a 16 game conference schedule - it leaves more OOC options. Her other comment (in addition to more OOC games), that it could increase NCAA bids by reducing teams beating each other up in conference, I personally can't see as valid. Not for a simple 2 game reduction.

 

[Wbbfan1]

Reduce Conference Games, so most teams will schedule Weak Non Competitive games to get two more wins to make their resume look better for the NCAA Tournament. Doesn't help grow the game.

 

[2Husky]

Quite surprised to see a good idea from a conference that thought adding Rutgers was a good idea. But yes conferences in general are dumb, and reducing their role is good. With the vast number of d1 teams compared to the limited number of games it makes more sense to have more variety of opponent.

You could also make the case that their conference is so weak that they could easily find better opponents outside the conference. On the men's side the really crack down on teams with weak ooc schedules, so I doubt weakening the schedule will be a path to success.

 

[UcMiami]

I think it is a good idea - what teams do with the added OOC is up to them, but taking up almost 2/3 of the season with conference games is a bit much. This could help mid-majors as well. The problem being that you have an unbalanced league schedule which can get a little unfair for some teams in conference standings. I would like to see the AAC reduce conference games as well, but teams that play Uconn only once have a one game advantage against those playing them twice.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

I think it is a good idea - what teams do with the added OOC is up to them, but taking up almost 2/3 of the season with conference games is a bit much. This could help mid-majors as well. The problem being that you have an unbalanced league schedule which can get a little unfair for some teams in conference standings. I would like to see the AAC reduce conference games as well, but teams that play Uconn only once have a one game advantage against those playing them twice.

Unfortunately, a lot of conferences have unbalanced schedules. If you have more than 10 teams, there is no good solution. Very few conferences go the division route for WBB, which might be an option of sorts.

OTH, incidentally, I think 14 conference games (which I think is the SEC) is too few, IMHO. Conference games shouldn't be less than half your regular season schedule.

 

[UConnCat]

The reason why the women's coaches in the B1G wanted the 16-game schedule is that they felt the 18-game schedule was too compressed esp compared to the men's schedule. Because the women's season ends a weak before the men's season, the women's coaches felt it was unfair to the players.

Here's a comment from a story in a W Lafayette site:

In eliminating two conference games, coaches are expected to add two more compelling matchups during the nonconference season.

Let's hope they're compelling.

 

[Alydar]

If the goal is to build the image and interest in wcbb then providing compelling matchups is task one. And there simply aren't enough of those during January and February when intra-conference games dominate the schedules. February is when basketball has the sports stage all to itself. No more football. No baseball. That's when there is a window of opportunity to draw people to wcbb. And intra-conference games don't offer enough in the way of well-played & competitive games. Instead what people see is a SEC game with 50 TO's and 50 fouls that is unwatchable except for those wearing team logos on their chests. The only way to accomplish that in January and February is to have some inter-conference matchups among the top 10 teams. .

Of course the conferences wouldn't like this but if ESPN, the golden goose of college sports, were to press for it, the conferences might go along so as not to make an issue over what, to them, is small potatoes.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Um, so what's the reason for being a part of a conference if the games are so non-compelling that you want to chuck them as being lame inconveniences? Theoretically, the reason to stuff a conference with too many teams is so they can build "rivalries" and play a lot of exciting games a la the old BEast conference that mean a huge amount come tourney time. If you are a blood-sucking concussed-head like Swofford or Delaney, your entire reason for living is sucking in more schools so that you can claim to be the "biggest" while hoping the imploding cable channels can finance it all, which they can't. So yeah, Ohio State will schedule two more games against maybe Chicago State and Incarnate Word so they can get to 20+ wins. And that makes the B10-16 stronger?

I do not grok. But at least some RPI worshippers will say that since Incarnate Word also have Kansas and Indiana on the schedule, it all makes sense, like ranking UConn #5.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Um, so what's the reason for being a part of a conference if the games are so non-compelling that you want to chuck them as being lame inconveniences? Theoretically, the reason to stuff a conference with too many teams is so they can build "rivalries" and play a lot of exciting games a la the old BEast conference that mean a huge amount come tourney time. If you are a blood-sucking concussed-head like Swofford or Delaney, your entire reason for living is sucking in more schools so that you can claim to be the "biggest" while hoping the imploding cable channels can finance it all, which they can't. So yeah, Ohio State will schedule two more games against maybe Chicago State and Incarnate Word so they can get to 20+ wins. And that makes the B10-16 stronger?

I do not grok. But at least some RPI worshippers will say that since Incarnate Word also have Kansas and Indiana on the schedule, it all makes sense, like ranking UConn #5.

Actually UConn Cat is correct about the reason - coaches felt the schedule was "too compact" because they play their season in a week less than the men, because their tourney is earlier. If I do, indeed, think that college athletes have it hard because of their athletic commitments vis a vis a non-athlete student, and I do think this will somehow slightly lessen the burden - possibly true - I just don't see it as significant, any more than Yori's hope that it will help the conference RPI (and yes, I know what you think of that).

No one said they were being dropped because they were not compelling, rather the hope was that the added games "would be" compelling. And yes, being able to schedule 13 OOC games is better than 11 - I suspect Geno would agree. The OBE played 16 games, as did the B1G prior to this past season, it is a very common number.

 

[NickyNewark]

Quite surprised to see a good idea from a conference that thought adding Rutgers was a good idea. But yes conferences in general are dumb, and reducing their role is good. With the vast number of d1 teams compared to the limited number of games it makes more sense to have more variety of opponent.

You could also make the case that their conference is so weak that they could easily find better opponents outside the conference. On the men's side the really crack down on teams with weak ooc schedules, so I doubt weakening the schedule will be a path to success.

Rutgers has already proven to be a B1G success even before playing a game as the Chicago based research firm said "outside ND RU brings the most value"...don't get the sour grapes when L'ville took your projected spot!?!..RU never cared to join the ACC and let them know it yrs ago. RU thought of the B1G for many yrs as the mountain top whereas you thought of the BE as you'res!! Blame lack of vision where it belongs ..not RU. They achieved their goal and you're blaming the B1G??

 

[noeynox]

Rutgers has already proven to be a B1G success even before playing a game as the Chicago based research firm said "outside ND RU brings the most value"...don't get the sour grapes when L'ville took your projected spot!?!..RU never cared to join the ACC and let them know it yrs ago. RU thought of the B1G for many yrs as the mountain top whereas you thought of the BE as you'res!! Blame lack of vision where it belongs ..not RU. They achieved their goal and you're blaming the B1G??

Dear Lord, is there a board on this site you don't troll?

 

[NickyNewark]

Dear Lord, is there a board on this site you don't troll?

Troll my ....read your post from a few minutes ago I actually "liked"...its called REALITY...unreal how you always return to sour form?? Try ignore...i did with you for a long time until after JS called you out!! Grow up. Same old same old. Your lucky someone cares. Find a team you like and enjoy instead of sulking.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Actually UConn Cat is correct about the reason - coaches felt the schedule was "too compact" because they play their season in a week less than the men, because their tourney is earlier. If I do, indeed, think that college athletes have it hard because of their athletic commitments vis a vis a non-athlete student, and I do think this will somehow slightly lessen the burden - possibly true - I just don't see it as significant, any more than Yori's hope that it will help the conference RPI (and yes, I know what you think of that).

No one said they were being dropped because they were not compelling, rather the hope was that the added games "would be" compelling. And yes, being able to schedule 13 OOC games is better than 11 - I suspect Geno would agree. The OBE played 16 games, as did the B1G prior to this past season, it is a very common number.

Yep, sure, but not exactly certain where this forlorn hope that the added OOC games for the B10 teams comes from. Magical thinking maybe? The bottom feeders of the B10 schedule an OOC that allows them to get 9-10 wins and maybe earn them an NIT berth. So now what? Maybe 11-12 wins so they only need a 5-11 or 6-10 record to get invited. As to the top B10 teams, if you're telling me this means that they will schedule some tougher teams that may cost them a victory for their NCAA tourney resume, well I have some Linden NJ gas vapors to sell you at a compelling price and that will make you see some crazily comforting sights.

 

[NickyNewark]

Y

Troll my ....read your post from a few minutes ago I actually "liked"...its called REALITY...unreal how you always return to sour form?? Try ignore...i did with you for a long time until after JS called you out!! Grow up. Same old same old. Your lucky someone cares. Find a team you like and enjoy instead of sulking.

Yes MBB.....boring...I love WBB...but how would you know?

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

Quite surprised to see a good idea from a conference that thought adding Rutgers was a good idea. But yes conferences in general are dumb, and reducing their role is good. With the vast number of d1 teams compared to the limited number of games it makes more sense to have more variety of opponent.

You could also make the case that their conference is so weak that they could easily find better opponents outside the conference. On the men's side the really crack down on teams with weak ooc schedules, so I doubt weakening the schedule will be a path to success.

I think it was smart for the Big Ten to add Rutgers and I also think it would be good for the ACC to add UCONN. I actually think it would have been better for the ACC if they added both Rutgers and UCONN instead of Louisville and Syracuse. Rutgers basketball would have improved in the ACC and they would have been highly competitive in football. a double combo of Rutgers and UCONN in the ACC would have given them a great foothold in the trip-state area. Of course, the ACC is my enemy so it's ok that they shot themselves in the foot. I love basketball, but everyone knows that football is what brings in the big bucks.

 

[noeynox]

Troll my ....read your post from a few minutes ago I actually "liked"...its called REALITY...unreal how you always return to sour form?? Try ignore...i did with you for a long time until after JS called you out!! Grow up. Same old same old. Your lucky someone cares. Find a team you like and enjoy instead of sulking.

No one gives a flying fluck that you care troll. We will be fine whether or not your care. Troll.

 

[uconnfan68]

Rutgers has already proven to be a B1G success even before playing a game as the Chicago based research firm said "outside ND RU brings the most value"...don't get the sour grapes when L'ville took your projected spot!?!..RU never cared to join the ACC and let them know it yrs ago. RU thought of the B1G for many yrs as the mountain top whereas you thought of the BE as you'res!! Blame lack of vision where it belongs ..not RU. They achieved their goal and you're blaming the B1G??

They "achieved" an invitation, almost entirely based on the population of New Jersey.

 

[NickyNewark]

They "achieved" an invitation, almost entirely based on the population of New Jersey.

So? What else is new?NJ has always had a dense population but RU was never invited before and whats wrong with your geography between Boston and NYC? UConn should be a no brainer!?! They "B1G" have wanted an excuse to bring in RU since around ninty when PSU joined. Its still about relationships and if you're a winning team all the better but as some know that's not always enough. But for sure if anyone deserves a P5 invite its you guys. I think if our situations were reversed I'd be bitter but don't blame the university for a mission accomplished. I don't know exactly why but RU never wanted the ACC and let it be known behind the scenes early ergo..bstimps animosity towards RU. I remember thinking it couldve have been us left "holding the bag" and thought like you take 2 large state U's like RU/UConn and lock down the densest richest real estate in the country for good assuring any conference stability forever but ego's like Meatball Marinatto and Swoffy types couldn't see the big picture or convey it to their constituents. Cockhrnleghrn see's it right why can't they? CR isn't an achievement but a desired goal by peer insitutions...you need an invitation and Boise St can win all they want in FB but still need to sell an institutional vision like TCU did to Deloss Dodds I think his name is by DelConte.